Satellite loss hits S. Pacific phone links

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Many remote areas in the South Pacific remained without
telephone communications to the outside world today, Telecom New
Zealand said, three days after the loss of a satellite covering the
area.

The $US73 million, Bermuda-registered Intelsat IS-804 Satellite
covering several Pacific Islands and Scott Base in Antarctica moved
out of alignment and was then lost on Saturday, it said.

Its loss left Scott Base, the Cook Islands, Western Samoa,
American Samoa, Chatham Islands, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Niue,
Vanuatu, Tokelau, Tuvalu and Tonga without communications to other
countries.

Scott Base has access to emergency-only back-up services through
the United States' McMurdo Base.

Communications were restored to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands,
Western Samoa and the Solomon Islands through alternative satellite
options, said Telecom New Zealand, which rents capacity on the lost
satellite.

Most of the other islands have local phone and data services but
will be without international calling and data access until
alternative arrangements can be made, spokeswoman Sarah Berry said
in a statement.

Several other countries not serviced by Telecom were also
affected but have other alternatives available, including New
Caledonia, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, East Timor, Vietnam,
South Korea and Saipan.

"Telecom customers in New Zealand, along with customers of all
other providers internationally will not be able to make calls or
send data transmissions to those islands which have been isolated,"
Berry said.

Airline data circuits have also been affected which could lead
to some flight delays to and from these locations.

"Some services out of New Zealand and Australia may also be
partially affected to East Asian locations such as Vietnam and
Beijing," Berry said.

Intelsat Ltd chief executive Conny Kullman said the satellite
was not insured.

The company however remained committed to the region "and all
necessary effort and assets will be allocated to ensure Intelsat
satellite coverage throughout the Asia-Pacific region," he
said.